David McGuinty

People are opening their homes and sitting with those who are grieving.

Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty speaking earlier today about the deadly incident at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta yesterday.

Officials have confirmed four Canadian soldiers were killed when a fast-moving fire overtook a training area.

Thirty-nine people are being treated in hospitals.

Several of the injured were taken to hospital with, uh, varying degrees of injuries.

Defense Minister David McGuinty confirms that he is headed to Alberta to be briefed on the latest developments of the incident.

Also in Alberta, the province is expected to hold the independence referendum tomorrow.

Over a million Albertans will head to the polling stations to cast their ballots.

The military says a fire ignited within the training area at CFB Wainwright, but quickly spread to other areas.

National Defense Minister David McGuinty held a brief update late last night.

You know, this is a very, very, uh, active and delicate situation.

On the ground, we have, of course, Canadian Forces members.

I'm saddened to share that there have been both fatalities and injuries as a result of an incident on the base.

Defense Minister David McGuinty holding a late-night update.

Military officials say a fire started in the training area of the base and quickly spread.

It's still not clear what sparked the fire, but Wainwright's mayor, Bruce Pugh, says this is the largest mass casualty event his community has ever experienced.

Local authorities said there were no evacuation orders.

Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty said government agencies were responding.

I'm saddened to share that there have been both fatalities and injuries as a result of an incident on the base.

The Canadian Armed Forces, the Department of National Defence, partners across the federal government, including public safety, are working with the government of Alberta and municipal governments to mobilize all necessary support and working through the details of what actually occurred.

So let's take a look at what's going on.

And before we do get into that, let's first go to David McGuinty and take a look at what he had to say about the explosion.

And then we'll take a look at his update that he fed afterwards.

So again, let's start and we'll take this clip that we're going to watch.

Now, Compounding the tragedy tonight are fierce weather conditions because wind gusts reaching up to 100 kilometers an hour have whipped the flames past the base's perimeter fence and onto the surrounding rural areas of the municipal district of Wainwright.

Local firefighting crews, aided by resources deployed by neighboring Saskatchewan, are working alongside military personnel to contain the volatile blaze at this hour.

Earlier tonight in Ottawa, Canada's Minister of Defense, David McGuinty, stepped to the microphone to address the nation and confirm the devastating news that lives have been lost.

And we have just watched that video.

View Royal here on the island was one of them.

Across Canada Defense Minister David McGuinty says people have been killed and others hurt after a fire broke out on Saturday at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in eastern Alberta.

Speaking in Ottawa, McGuinty confirmed there were casualties but didn't give numbers or say what caused the fire.

He called it an active and delicate situation that will soon become an investigation, and said both armed forces members and the RCMP are involved.

Police say early reports pointed to a fire in a training area.

Right here?

The Honourable David McGuinty, Minister of National Defence.

Good afternoon, bon après-midi, Monsieur Damme.

Yesterday afternoon, a violent, fast-moving fire broke out at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright while soldiers were training on the range.

And thank you to Defence Minister Dalton McGuinty.

I knew I was going to do that.

David McGuinty.

My apologies, Defence Minister.

The base is Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, one of the busiest training grounds in the country.

The Minister of National Defense, David McGuinty, confirmed late yesterday that there had been both fatalities and injuries from what he called an incident on the base.

He gave no figure.

He said he could not recall an incident like this in recent memory and that the situation was very, very active and delicate.